After the nice trip with Arthur, I had to finish up my last classes before my Fall break trip with Chani to her parents’ cabin. Just one more day, and we get to leave for most of the break! I’m excited to go up to the cabin, to be in nature once more, but I’m nervous about having to meet Chani’s family to do so. She told me they had set up lunch to see, mostly Chani and also me. They have no clue about our affairs, and they should never find out, according to Chani, so I’ll be introduced to them as a friend instead, taking some of that pressure off of me.

“You doing alright?” Chani’s question broke me out of my thoughts. We were currently in my room, and she was helping me pack for our trip.

“Yeah. Just thinking about meeting your parents.” I admitted.

“It’ll be fine.” Chani attempted to reassure me. “We just need to spend lunch with them, and then we’ll be in the clear.”

I nodded, still not excited by the idea.

“Mali. You’ll need a bigger jacket than these.” She ran her finger along my handful of jackets. “We can run to the thrift store and see if we can find something before we watch our movie.”

“Alright.”

“What movie did you want to watch, by the way?”

“How about the next Hellraiser movie?”

“Which one are we on now? The third one, right?”

“I’m pretty sure.” I placed the last of my clothes in the duffle bag. Other than a jacket and my outfit for the travel day, everything was ready. “I’m ready to leave when you are. To go to the thrift store.”

“And get some tea.” Chani laughed.

I smiled, rolling my eyes. “And some tea, I suppose.”

“Come on.”

Chani and I headed off campus, first stopping by our favorite tea shop in the area for a to-go drink, then heading to the thrift store. Thankfully we found me a nice warm coat in black, to match my style that would work for our trip. I ended up calling Alice while we were out, but to no avail, as she didn’t pick up. Chani picked out the craziest clothes she could find for me to try out to try and cheer me up. I didn’t really work, but I appreciated her doing it. After shopping, we then returned to campus and to Chani’s dorm room, where we started the movie. I ended up dosing off part way through.

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“You still nervous, Mali?” Chani asked as we headed to her parents' house. We were lucky to sleep in today, neither of us having classes. I looked forward to sleeping in during our trip most days, as I hate waking up early.

“A bit.”

“Just make sure you don’t let our…thing slip, and we’ll be fine.” She sighed, shaking her head. “Sorry that we have to pretend to be straight, Mali.”

“It’s okay. I get it. My parents are the same.”

“Well…my dad’s a pastor, Mal.”

“Oh wow.” I looked at her in surprise. “Can’t imagine what that’s like.”

“Means I spent a lot of my time at church.” She cracked a smile. “Mali. What do you eat when we’re not eating together? I never see you cook anything.”

“I use the microwave mostly. I practically live off this kimchi ramen from King Soopers. It’s the best!”

“I’ll have to try it sometime, in that case.” She laughed. “How are you alive, though? With all that sodium.”

“No clue. I also like to add another packet of ramen, just the noodles, if I’m hungry.”

“That’s a shitload of ramen, Mal.”

“It is.” I smiled proudly.

Before too long, we arrived at her parents’ house and shuffled out of the car. They have a beautiful house in a seemingly nice neighborhood. Most of the people we had seen in the neighborhood were white. Chani and her family seemed to be the outlier. I couldn’t help but to wonder if they had faced any discrimination from their neighbors.

“Come on.” Chani smiled at me softly, motioning for me to follow her up the driveway.

We came to the door where she knocked. The door was opened after some loud footsteps from the other side. An older man opened the door, looming over the both of us and not just because we were a step lower than him. “Chani.” He didn’t smile as her saw her, just moved out of the way to let us in.

Chani stepped past him and urged me to do the same. I looked around the house. It was very well furnished and clean, better than my parents’ house. Both of them seem to always have something better to do than clean up.

“Hey, dad.” Chani smiled at him, confirming my suspicions. “This is my friend I’ve been telling you guys about.”

“Hi.” I waved nervously.

“Mal--Mal, something, correct?”

“Malia.” Chani corrected him.

“Ah, yes. Well, go meet with the others. Lunch is almost ready.”

Chani and I started down the hallway and into the kitchen. Chani’s dad was really intimidating. I was just glad I didn’t have to talk alone with him. Chani introduced me to her sisters and mom who were working on lunch. Shortly afterward, her mom ushered us into the dining room where food was served. I was thankful to not be the only vegetarian, as my parents always complain about me having a meal separate from theirs.

For the most part, the family talked, leaving me out of it, though I was thankful for that as I rarely had to say anything. And before too long, food was finished and the women started cleaning up while her father had us follow him outside where the truck was prepped, the UTV Chani had told me about, in the bed.

“Just be safe, Chani.” He turned to face her, looking as serious as ever. Chani didn’t seem intimidated by him, leading me to believe it was just normal. “Don’t wreck our things, please.”

“I won’t.” I could see her roll her eyes and cross her arm. “We’ll be fine.”

Chani’s dad pulled out a set of keys. “And don’t wreck the cabin. Clean it up and bring the trash back down before you leave. Or else.” His threat wasn’t said, but sent a chill down my spine.

“We will. It’ll be nice and shiny, dad.” She grabbed the keys out of his hand, before turning towards me. “Let’s get our luggage into the truck, Mal.”

We walked over to the Camry, took our suitcases out, and moved them into the, now, unlocked truck. The both of us said our goodbyes and piled into the truck, heading off towards Leadville, an approximate two hour drive. On the way up Chani told me a story about how she went to one of the mines up in the mountains with her schools.

“They had a cave-in and put a fake body there! It traumatized me as a kid!” Chani laughed.

“I can imagine.” I shook my head with a smile. “I’ve always hated mines, so I don’t blame you, and I didn’t even have a reason like you do.”

“During outdoor lab, we had the option to go into a different mine, and I sat out because I was too traumatized by the other one. Though they did talk about it being haunted, so I kinda wish I had gone.”

“Sounds like something you’d like.” I chuckled.

Around an hour and a half later, we arrived in Leadville and then ten or fifteen minutes further up the road, and we arrived at the cabin. It seemed nice from the outside, but not exactly what I was expecting. It looked more like a house than a cabin, but maybe that’s because I was expecting a Lincoln Logs cabin.

“We need to unload the UTV, but after we get settled in, I thought we could walk around downtown Leadville and get some dinner. If that’s cool with you.” Chani took the keys out of the ignition and opened the door, getting out.

“Sounds great.” I crawled out as well, walking to the backseat door to get my bag and Chani’s suitcase out.

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Chani and I walked around Leadville for a while. There were quite a few shops along the main drive, giving us something to do for the few hours before dinnertime. We bought a handful of things, but all small enough for us to carry along with us, as well as some fudge. Chani told me that whenever she goes into small towns in the mountains, she always has to get some fudge since they have the best kinds.

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Eventually, we settled down in a café lounge for some dinner.

“So, what’s your opinion on Leadville so far?”

“Reminds me of home.” I smiled slightly, taking a sip of my drink.

“I keep forgetting you grew up in such a small town. All my friends from high school grew up mostly in the same area or in some other suburban areas.”

“I’m just a little country gal.” I spoke with a southern accent.

Chani laughed, shaking her head. “Who would’ve known I would fall for a small-town goth.”

“You’ve already fallen for me?” I looked at her with feigned shock.

She rolled her eyes. “Maybe. Just don’t tell anyone, okay?”

I smiled. “No problem.”

After dinner, we headed back to the cabin and watched some TV before going to bed. I sat awake for a while, thanking any god out there for my luck in finding Chani. I missed Alice, missed when things were good, but with Chani, it felt like things were always good, rather than when she felt like putting in the effort to make things better for me. I wanted to tell Chani how much she meant to me but wasn’t sure how to put it into words yet, how to express what she meant to me and how much it was growing. But I was going to figure it out this trip. To give it my best shot and see what would happen.

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Chani and I woke up late today, rolling out of bed whenever we finally felt like it. We got up and had our leftovers for breakfast before going for a walk around the area. The cabin was close enough to see the other cabins but far enough that you had plenty of privacy. I had always dreamed of having a cabin when I got older, but when I grew up, it became obvious that I wasn’t going to be able to afford it, so it was nice to be able to enjoy one, even if it wasn’t mine. Maybe if Chani and I stayed friends…or became more, we could use it sometimes to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

“Thanks for being willing to take a walk with me.” Chani smiled over at me. The rocks beneath us crunched as we walked. It reminded me of back home when I was younger and how I always refused to wear anything but flip-flops, if even that, as I spent most of my time barefoot.

“I’m glad you offered.” I smiled back at her. “It really is great up here.” The wind was blowing slightly. Chani told me that it’s almost always windy up here, so I should get used to it. I took a deep breath of the cool morning air, feeling a sense of calmness wash over me. “It’s a lot nicer up here than down in the city. I like the city, but I don't think it’s really for me.” I rubbed my arm. “I wouldn’t want to be away from you, though.”

“I wouldn’t mind living somewhere else.” Chani shrugged. “My dream is to live in a little mountain town, where there are not so many people.”

“I’d like that.” I smiled.

Chani gently grabbed my hand. We walked side by side for a while, stopping at a lake that the cabin looked out onto. “Can we sit and talk a little?”

“Of course.” I nodded.

“Probably too cold to put your feet in the water, though.” She smiled guiltily before sitting down on the dock. I found a spot next to her.

“Smells very fishy.” I chuckled.

“I use to always come down here. I spent so much of my time out here on this dock, in this water. The cabin up there,” she motioned towards the cabin up the hill, before turning her attention back to the, “was my grandparents’. Almost seems surreal being back here. It feels like a lifetime ago, and even though I was so young, I remember it so well. Playing with my horses in the water, catching the little minnows with a solo cup, begging my grandparents to let me take them home.” She laughed quietly. “Fishing with my grandpa, exploring for hours on end with just my dog and me, watching the highway with binoculars.” She took a deep breath as a sadness seemingly washing over her. “I don’t miss the way things were growing up. I mean, almost all of my childhood sucked. My dad is a drunk, my mom couldn’t care less about protecting us, my older brother was too busy for me, and I was almost always alone. Middle school and high school were hard, as they are for most people, but add being gay and out to that, and it makes it that much harder. I hated growing up, but I guess in every bad situation, in every hard time, there is always that little bit of light from it. Even if it might just be relative.” She shrugged weakly. “I guess I just miss those times when things were good. Relatively.”

“When everything was simpler.” I echoed her feelings, getting a nod from her. “Chani…thanks for opening up to me.”

She looked over at me with a small smile. “I’m glad to have you in my life, Malia.”

“I’m glad to have you too.”

The two of us went for a couple-hour hike around the cabin area, just walking up the road deeper into where the other cabins were, before turning around and heading back to our cabin. There wasn’t much food besides dried things like rice and hash browns, so we agreed to head into town, to the King Soopers, to get some provisions.

We drove down to town, shopped, and headed back with our bounty, before packing up a picnic basket. Taking our food down to the dock, we had our lunch there.

“You’re not such a bad cook, Mali.” Chani smiled at me, taking a bite.

“It’s a sandwich. I didn’t cook.” I laughed.

“But it’s a good sandwich.” She held it up triumphantly.

I shook my head with a smile. “Well, I’m glad you like it so much. What’s our plan for the rest of our day? If you have one.”

“I don’t know about you, but I want to take a nap before we do anything. I haven’t had a nap in forever. My grandparents use to take a nap together on the hammock whenever I was up here. We could do that.” A smile grew as she spoke.

“Sounds like a good plan to me.” I shrugged.

After our lunch, we cleaned up and headed back to the cabin, where we collected a bunch of blankets. We cuddled up on the hammock, cozy beneath the blankets, and took a nap.

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Chani and I were sitting around the fire pit roasting marshmallows for our s’mores, keeping warm from the frosty night. Each of us had a blanket around our shoulders to keep our backs warm. We ended up staying until the fire died out. I was about to go in when Chani told me to come lay beside her on the ground and stargaze. She pointed out whatever constellations she could see. After a while, it got too cold, so we moved inside to the bed, where we chatted a while before heading off to bed, ready for another day.

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To my detriment, we woke up early. Though I was a bit grumpy, we got up and around, so we could take an off-roading drive. After packing up some drinks and snacks, we headed off to the mountains. Thankfully I fully trust Chani, or else I’d be more than a little scared of some of the spots we drove in. She told me that her dad had her driving off-road since she first got her license, calming me a bit more.

“So,” she glanced over at me as we were moved around by the rough terrain, “we took this trail that my dad said would be a shortcut to the pool. All of us trusting him and his navigation skills thought nothing of it. Turns out the road was closed for the season, and for very good reason, as there was this one muddy hill we went down that there was no way we could get back up in the F350. My dad has a steel bladder, but on that trip, he was so nervous that he peed like ten times.” She laughed. “My brother also almost broke his neck too, when we hit a bump. That was pretty funny.”

“Not for him, I’m sure.” I chuckled.

We eventually made it down the pass and into a small town, called Pitkin, in the valley. It was so cute and quiet that the entire time Chani and I were there, all we could talk about was moving here when we retired. We had lunch in Pitkin, before heading back out on the road. It took most of the time until dinner to get back, leaving us only a bit of time to get cleaned up before we headed into town to get some dinner and catch a show. After that, we headed back to the cabin and went to bed early.

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Chani and I were lazily laying in the bed, not having plans for the day yet. I shifted in the bed, looking over at Chani.

“Chani, you’re so pretty.”

She smiled and looked over at me. “Right back at cha, girly.”

“Chani…” I trailed off, taking a deep breath. “What exactly are we? We’re more than friends, right? Or are we just friends?”

“I’d say we’re more than friends.” She shrugged. “But we can be whatever you wanna be.”

“I’m not sure.” I admitted. “I like Arthur, and I like what I have with him, but I also like you a lot and want more with you.”

“Why not both, Mali?” She turned on her side to fully face me. “I don’t mind you being with Arthur. I'm fine with us being somewhat open, as long as you’re honest about it.”

“Real--really? You’d still want to be with me even if I continue things with Arthur?”

“Sure.” She sat up; I sat up with her. “I really, really like you, Malia. Hell, I may even be in love with you, so if I get even just a piece of you and I know you’ll be there for me, then I’m willing to let you fuck some old guy.” She cracked a smile.

“Wow, you must really love me, Chani.” I joked, a small smile on my face.

“If you agree to be my girlfriend, you’ll have to get used to being smothered with my love.”

“I kinda like the sound of that.”

“Maybe once we finish school, we can reevaluate things once if we’re still together.”

“Sure.” I nodded. “I’m fine with that. I’m sure Arthur and I won’t last that long. Eventually, he’ll probably just get tired of me and move on to someone else.” I shrugged.

“You think so little of yourself, girly.” Chani tilted her head to the side slightly.

I shrugged. “It’s not really a diss to myself, as much as something I think will just happen.”

“I guess we’ll see.” She shrugged. “As far as your stuff with Arthur, or anyone else you want, goes, just be honest and open with me and don’t hide it.”

“Sure thing.”

“As long as you meet my needs, I doubt I’ll need to ever be with anyone else, but that doesn’t mean you can’t.”

“One more time, Chani, are you sure you’re sure that you’re okay with this?”

“I am. I promise.”

“Alright…girlfriend.” I smiled.

“I like the sound of that.”

Eventually, after talking, we got out of bed and went down to town. We walked around a couple of thrift stores, killing some time and finding a puzzle. Heading back, I worked on the puzzle while Chani made us lunch. We spent the rest of our afternoon, until dinner listening to music and doing the puzzle. I admitted to her my love of virtual puzzles on Tabletop Simulator, due to the fact that the game tells you which way the puzzle piece faces, making it a bit easier to do, while not taking away the enjoyment of figuring it out.

We finished a little bit before starting our dinner, finding out there were missing pieces, ruining our build. After eating dinner, we took the liberty of cracking open some beers that were in the fridge.

Chani and I sat on the porch, watching the sun go down. She had her fingers laced in mine, before moving over and kissing me. We made out for a while, before Chani’s hand slipped under my shirt. She looked at me, looking for permission.

“I don’t want our first time to be after we’ve been drinking.” I admitted quietly.

“That’s alright.” She nodded with a soft smile. “Can we keep making out, at least?”

“For as long as you want.” I smiled.

She smiled back before leaning in to kiss me again.

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